This paper presents a rationale for structuring a distributed human factors laboratory for future air systems. The distributed herein refers to two aspects: content and geographic. As for content, the laboratory is structured in two levels, namely, individual, and team. As for geographic, the laboratory infrastructure is distributed in three physically separate facilities, namely, Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA) and Department of Management and Engineering (IEI) from Linköping University – Sweden and the Competence Center in Manufacturing from the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) – Brazil.

Disturbed, turbulent-like blood flow promotes chaotic wall shear stress (WSS) environments, impairing essential endothelial functions and increasing the susceptibility and progression of vascular diseases. These flow characteristics are today frequently detected at various anatomical, lesion and intervention-related sites, while their role as a pathological determinant is less understood. To present-day, numerous WSS-based descriptors have been proposed to characterize the spatiotemporal nature of the WSS disturbances, however, without differentiation between physiological laminar oscillations and turbulence-related WSS (tWSS) fluctuations. Also, much attention has been focused on magnetic resonance (MR) WSS estimations, so far with limited success; promoting the need of a near-wall surrogate marker. In this study, a new approach is explored to characterize the tWSS, by taking advantage of the tensor characteristics of the fluctuating WSS correlations, providing both a magnitude and an anisotropy measure of the disturbances. These parameters were studied in two patient-specific coarctation models (sever and mild), using large eddy simulations, and correlated against near-wall reciprocal Reynolds stress parameters. Collectively, results showed distinct regions of differing tWSS characteristics, features which were sensitive to changes in flow conditions. Generally, the post-stenotic tWSS was governed by near axisymmetric fluctuations, findings that where not consistent with conventional WSS disturbance predictors. At the 2-3 mm wall-offset range, a strong linear correlation was found between tWSS magnitude and near-wall turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), in contrast to the anisotropy indices, suggesting that MR-measured TKE can be used to assess elevated tWSS regions while tWSS anisotropy estimates request well-resolved simulation methods. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turbulence and flow eccentricity can be measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we propose quantitative techniques to assess turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and flow eccentricity that could assist in the evaluation and treatment of stenotic severities. These hemodynamic parameters were studied in a pre-treated aortic coarctation (CoA) and after several virtual interventions using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to demonstrate the effect of different dilatation options on the flow field. Patient-specific geometry and flow conditions were derived from MRI data. The unsteady pulsatile flow was resolved by large eddy simulation (LES) including non-Newtonian blood rheology. Results showed an inverse asymptotic relationship between the total amount of TKE and degree of dilatation of the stenosis, where the pre-stenotic hypoplastic segment may limit the possible improvement by treating the CoA alone. Spatiotem-poral maps of TKE and flow eccentricity could be linked to the characteristics of the post-stenotic jet, showing a versatile response between the CoA dilatations. By including these flow markers into a combined MRI-CFD intervention framework, CoA therapy has not only the possibility to produce predictions via simulation, but can also be validated pre-and immediate post treatment, as well as during follow-up studies.

Wall shear stress (WSS) disturbances are commonly expressed at sites of abnormal flow obstructions and may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of various vascular diseases. In laminar flows these disturbances have recently been assessed by the transverse wall shear stress (transWSS), which accounts for the WSS multidirectionality. Site-specific estimations of WSS disturbances in pulsatile transitional and turbulent type of flows are more challenging due to continuous and unpredictable changes in WSS behavior. In these complex flow settings, the transWSS may serve as a more comprehensive descriptor for assessing WSS disturbances of general nature compared to commonly used parameters. In this study large eddy simulations (LES) were used to investigate the transWSS properties in flows subjected to different pathological turbulent flow conditions, governed by a patient-specific model of an aortic coarctation pre and post balloon angioplasty. Results showed that regions of strong near-wall turbulence were collocated with regions of elevated transWSS and turbulent WSS, while in more transitional-like near-wall flow regions a closer resemblance was found between transWSS and low, and oscillatory WSS. Within the frame of this study, the transWSS parameter demonstrated a more multi-featured picture of WSS disturbances when exposed to different types of flow regimes, characteristics which were not depicted by the other parameters alone. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Turbulence and flow eccentricity can be measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we propose quantitative techniques to assess turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and flow eccentricity that could assist in the evaluation and treatment of stenotic severities. These hemodynamic parameters were studied in a pre-treated aortic coarctation (CoA) and after several virtual interventions using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to demonstrate the effect of different dilatation options on the flow field. Patient-specific geometry and flow conditions were derived from MRI data. The unsteady pulsatile flow was resolved by large eddy simulation (LES) including non-Newtonian blood rheology. Results showed an inverse asymptotic relationship between the total amount of TKE and degree of dilatation of the stenosis, where turbulent flow proximal the constriction limits the possible improvement by treating the CoA alone. Spatiotemporal maps of TKE and flow eccentricity could be linked to the characteristics of the jet, where improved flow conditions were favored by an eccentric dilatation of the CoA. By including these flow markers into a combined MRI-CFD intervention framework, CoA therapy has not only the possibility to produce predictions via simulation, but can also be validated pre- and immediate post treatment, as well as during follow-up studies.

In recent years it has been possible to simulate 3D blood flow through CFD including the dilatation effect in elastic arteries using Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) to better match in vivo data. Patient specific imposed boundary condition (BC) is often used as the velocity profiles at the inlets. However, for the outlet BC a time-resolved pressure is required and often lacking as it is obtained by an invasive procedure. Numerous models have been developed for capturing the main effects of the vascular bed at these sites, which have been shown crucial and difficult to implement accurately. This work focus on a full scaled FSI simulation at an arterial section including the abdominal aorta, renal arteries and iliac bifurcations, obtained from MRI of an healthy individual. The outlet BC at the iliac arteries is connected with a 1D systemic arterial tree which is truncated with a 0D lumped model. This 3D-(0D-1D) connection can provide the essential features of the peripheral flow and, in contrast to the imposed BC, the 1D-0D coupling allow for investigation of cardiovascular diseases including stenoses and/or hypertension.

Methods

The MRI images were segmented using an in-house software to obtain a 3D surface of the vessel lumen, Figure 1. The surfaces were meshed with high quality hexahedral element using ANSYS ICEM CFD 12.0 (ANSYS Inc, Canonsburg, PA, USA). A PC-MRI time-resolved massflow at the descending aorta were used as inlet BC, where 22% of the flow was forced into the renal bifurcations assuming negligible pressure wave reflection. The wall was modelled with an isotropic elastic model with addition of an elastic support mimicking the damping effect of the surrounding tissue. The 1D model is based on transmission-line theory which involves an impedance model for the pressure-flow relationship. The arterial topology was extracted from literature and only the central arteries after the iliacs was considered. At the truncation sites a 3-element Windkessel model (known as RRC) was implemented and is the most common model of choice for describing the main effects of all the distal vessels. The 1D system solves the Fourier frequency impedance coefficients over one heart cycle accounting for wave reflection by using the 15 first harmonics to obtain the corresponding pressure. The 3D-1D connection is done offline, which allows for an independent and more stable 3D simulation. This step is iteratively repeated until convergence is reach between the present 3D outlet flow and previous implemented 1D outlet flow. The simulation was utilized in ANSYS CFX, ANSYS Mechanical, and coupled by ANSYS Multi-Field.

Results

The (0D-1D)-3D model showed convergence of pressure/flow at the iliac outlets, Figure 2. The method provides realistic pressure and flow responses based on the input parameters and even capture the relative difference in flow/pressure distribution between the right and left illiac artery due to subject specific geometric variability. Parameters such as velocity profiles and WSS can be extracted in the 3D domain.

Conclusions

This method allows for a better insight of large scale vascular networks effect of the local 3D flow features and also gives a better representation of the peripheral flow compared to a pure 0D (lumped parameter/Windkessel) model. PC-MRI will provide data for validation of velocity profiles in the 3D model. Future work includes a subject specific 1D vascular topology to be combined with the 3D model.

Turbulent blood flow is often associated with some sort of cardiovascular disease, e.g. sharp bends and/or sudden constrictions/expansions of the vessel wall. The energy losses associated with the turbulent flow may increase the heart workload in order to maintain cardiac output (CO). In the present study, the amount of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) developed in the vicinity of an aortic coarctation was estimated pre-intervention and in a variety of post-intervention configurations, using scale-resolved image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD). TKE can be measured using magnet resonance imaging (MRI) and have also been validated with CFD simulations [1], i.e. a parameter that not only can be quantified using simulations but can also be measured by MRI.

Patient-specific geometry and inlet flow conditions were obtained using contrast-enhanced MR angiography and 2D cine phase-contrast MRI, respectively. The intervention procedure was mimicked using an inflation simulation, where six different geometries were obtained. A scale-resolving turbulence model, large eddy simulation (LES), was utilized to resolve the largest turbulent scales and also to capture the laminar-to-turbulent transition. All cases were simulated using baseline CO and with a 20% CO increase to simulate a possible flow adaption after intervention.

For this patient, results shows a non-linear decay of the total amount of TKE integrated over the cardiac phase as the stenotic cross-sectional area is increased by the intervention. Figure 1 shows the original segmented geometry and two dilated coarctation with corresponding volume rendering of the TKE at peak systole. Due to turbulent transition at a kink upstream the stenosis further dilation of the coarctation tends to restrict the TKE to a plateau, and continued vessel expansion may therefore only induce unnecessary stresses onto the arterial wall.

This patient-specific non-invasive framework has shown the geometrical impact on the TKE estimates. New insight in turbulence development indicates that the studied coarctation can only be improved to a certain extent, where focus should be on the upstream region, if further TKE reduction is motivated. The possibility of including MRI in a combined framework could have great potential for future intervention planning and follow-up studies.

This study focuses on the improvement of students’ written communication skill in highereducation, aiming at higher quality of reports at different course levels. Towards this aim, twosupportive guideline documents, “report structure” and “report format”, have been writtenaligned with the courses’ syllabi and introduced as complementary material.

To clinically measure blood pressure at extra corporeal bloodlines involves a hazard due to the infection risk and a risk for thrombosis formation. The aim was to design a non-invasive pressure sensor, measuring directly on a tube section. A modified tube cross-section was used to improve sensitivity. Using the developed sensing principle, a consistent relation (r=0.999) was obtained between pressure and output signal. The output was stable and an acceptable drift within the temperature-range. The method shows great promise for applications in monitoring of the dialysis process.

Aortic coarctation, which could severely influence the haemodynamic conditions of the body, is discussed. A theory has been developed which relates the pressure drop over the coarctation to the flow. This theory indicates that the pressure drop across the actual coarctation is related to the flow squared. For the collateral flow the expected pressure drop is either linearly or quadratically related to the flow. Model experiments and patient data support the present theoretical model

To study the degree of stenosis from the acoustic signal generated by the turbulent flow in a stenotic vessel, so-called phonoangiography was first suggested over 20 years ago. A reason for the limited use of the technique today may be that, in the early work, the theory of how to relate the spectrum of the acoustic signal to the degree of the stenosis was not clear. However, during the last decade, the theoretical basis for this and other biological tube flow applications has been clarified. Now there is also easy access to computers for frequency analysis. A further explanation for the limited diagnostic use of bio-acoustic techniques for tube flow is the strong competition from ultrasound Doppler techniques. In the future, however, applications may be expected in biological tube flow where the non-invasive, simple and inexpensive bio-acoustic techniques will have a definite role as a diagnostic method.

Filamentous fungi are of interest for biotechnologists particularly because of thefungi’s ability of producing commercial products after undergoing certain industrialprocess. Although because of the complicated and intricate internal mechanism ofthe fungi there are certain aspects which need to be studied to maximize the produc-tion output. A team at Chair of Measurement and Control Bioprocess Group at TUBerlin studies the internal behavior of the fungi when they are exposed to certainamount of wall shear stress (WSS) by performing small-scale experimentation. Forthis purpose a backward facing step (BFS) chamber is used. This thesis work aims to perform Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysesto study the flow in the BFS chamber and to find appropriate locations to adherethe fungi spores on the chamber’s bottom wall.

Commercially available CFD software Star CCM+ has been used for the CFD calcu-lations. The BFS chamber has been divided into two parts namely ’inflow channel’and ’step channel’ and simulations are performed separately. RANS model SST k-ωhas been used to simulate the flow in the inflow channel and Large Eddy Simulation(LES) model has been used in the step channel.

The simulation result predicted that the streamwise WSS (WSS x ) is highest (≈ 8Pa) at the primary reattachment location downstream of the step. Due to reverseflow it is observed that WSS x is high (≈ 5 Pa) in the primary separation region.Standard deviation WSS x is highest (≈ 0.35 Pa) in the region around 28 x/h distancedownstream of the step on the bottom wall of the step channel and it is observedthat this is the region where the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) is also maximumin the mean flow of the step channel. It is observed that there is small WSS x devi-ation in the primary reattachment region as well. From the study it is concluded that the overall flow in the chamber is laminar withsome level of unsteadiness at few locations. To adhere the fungi spores on the bot-tom wall suitable location will be in the region where maximum variation in WSS xis observed.

The hemispheric proximal isovelocity surface area method for quantification of mitral regurgitant flow (i.e., Qc = 2 pi r2v), where 2 pi r2 is the surface area and v is the velocity at radius r, was investigated as distance from the orifice was increased. Computer simulations and steady flow model experiments were performed for orifices of 4, 6, and 8 mm. Flow rates derived from the centerline velocity and hemispheric assumption were compared with true flow rates. Proximal isovelocity surface area shape varied as distance from each orifice was increased and could only be approximated from the hemispheric equation when a certain distance was exceeded: > 7, > 10, and > 12 mm for the 4, 6, and 8 mm orifices, respectively. Prediction of relative error showed that the best radial zone at which to make measurements was 5 to 9, 6 to 14 and 7 to 17 mm for the 4, 6, and 8 mm orifices, respectively. Although effects of a nonhemispheric shape could be compensated for by use of a correction factor, a radius of 8 to 9 mm can be recommended without the use of a correction factor over all orifices studied if a deviation in calculated as compared with true flow of 15% is considered acceptable. These measurements therefore have implications for the technique in clinical practice.

17. Net Pressure Gradients in Aortic Prosthetic Valves can be Estimated by Doppler

Background: In aortic prosthetic valves, both the Doppler-estimated gradients and orifice areas are misleading in the assessment of hemodynamic performance. The parameter of major interest is the net pressure gradient after pressure recovery (PR). We, therefore, investigated, in vitro, our ability to predict the net pressure gradient and applied the formulas in a representative patient population with 2 different valve designs. Methods: We studied the St Jude Medical (SJM) standard valve (size 19-27) and SJM Biocor (size 21-27) in an in vitro steady-flow model with simultaneous Doppler-estimated pressure and catheter pressure measurements. Using echocardiography, we also studied patients who received the SJM (n = 66) and SJM Biocor (n = 45). Results: In the SJM, we observed PR both within the prosthesis and aorta, whereas in the SJM Biocor, PR was only present in the aorta. We estimated the PR within the valve and within the aorta separately from echocardiographic in vitro data, combining a regression equation (valve) with an equation on the basis of fluid mechanics theory (aorta). The difference between estimated and catheter-obtained net gradients (mean ± SD) was 0.6 ± 1.6 mm Hg in the SJM and - 0.2 ± 1.9 mm Hg in the SJM Biocor. When these equations were applied in vivo, we found that PR had an overall value of 57 ± 7% of the peak Doppler gradient in the SJM and 33 ± 9% in the SJM Biocor. Conclusions: The in vitro results indicate that it is possible to predict the net pressure gradient by Doppler in bileaflet and stented biologic valves. Our data indicate that important PR is also present in stented biologic valves.

Multidisciplinary frameworks are needed to develop products that fit the human. Ergonomics is a multifaceted field that encompasses physical, cognitive and organizational aspects, and it is therefore a suitable subject to be taught to design engineering students.

The objective of this paper was to describe and reflect upon how a systems perspective on Ergonomics is developed and conveyed in a course in Product Ergonomics to engineering students at the Design and Product Development (DPD) programme at Linköping University, Sweden. The paper is based on the authors’ experiences from teaching the course in Product Ergonomicsas well ason 52 students’ written reflections about their view on Ergonomics before and after taking the course.

Means and ideas for teaching Ergonomics with a systems perspective included organizing a theoretical introduction into weekly themes and thereafter integrating and applying these themes in a product concept project under supervision of a multidisciplinary teacher team.

The paper also reflects on how the systems perspective of Ergonomics is planned for and realized in the intended, implemented and attained curriculum.

19. Theme-based assessment of education in design and product development

One fundamental challenge in choosing an examination form to assess student achievements is to find an examination which, both encourages students to continuously elaborate the course content and constitutes a learning process itself. The objective of this paper is to share and reflect on the development and implementation of a new theme-based examination in a six credit course in Product Ergonomics given in the engineering programme Design and Product Development at Linköping University, Sweden. The course runs during four months and has two parts: one theoretical and one applied. The former focuses on theoretical ergonomic topics, models and methods while the latter is a project aiming at consolidating the students’ understanding of the theory by implementing the knowledge in a product development case. To encourage the students to adapt a deep learning approach, the traditional written mid-term exam for the theoretical part was abandoned and another concept developed. In the new concept, the theoretical part was split onto six weekly themes. Each theme was introduced at the beginning of the week by high-lighting main theories and models followed by a group-work assignment to be elaborated on by the students during the week. The theme was examined at the end of the week through a short written exam and a seminar to discuss and reflect upon the theme. From a student perspective, the positive outcome of the theme-based examination was peer learning and a more active learning style. The students appreciated the theme-based structure of the course. Occasionally, some students commented that weekly examinations could be perceived as stressful. The teachers perceived the students to be more acquainted with ergonomics theory and methods which increased the quality of the course project. The reported theme-based assessment is one example of implementing among others the CDIO syllabus parts 2.2 and 3.1and CDIO standards 8 and 11.

20. A Modification to the Kirchhoff Conditions at a Bifurcation and Loss Coefficients

One dimensional models for fluid flow in tubes are frequently used tomodel complex systems, such as the arterial tree where a large numberof vessels are linked together at bifurcations. At the junctions transmission conditions are needed. One popular option is the classic Kirchhoffconditions which means conservation of mass at the bifurcation andprescribes a continuous pressure at the joint.

In reality the boundary layer phenomena predicts fast local changesto both velocity and pressure inside the bifurcation. Thus it is not appropriate for a one dimensional model to assume a continuous pressure. In this work we present a modification to the classic Kirchhoff condi-tions, with a symmetric pressure drop matrix, that is more suitable forone dimensional flow models. An asymptotic analysis, that has beencarried out previously shows that the new transmission conditions hasen exponentially small error.

The modified transmission conditions take the geometry of the bifurcation into account and can treat two outlets differently. The conditions can also be written in a form that is suitable for implementationin a finite difference solver. Also, by appropriate choice of the pressuredrop matrix we show that the new transmission conditions can producehead loss coefficients similar to experimentally obtained ones.

A false aneurysm is a hematoma, i.e. collection ofblood outside of a blood vessel, that forms due to a hole in the wall of an artery . This represents a serious medical condition that needs to be monitored and, under certain conditions, treatedurgently. In this work a one-dimensional model of a false aneurysm isproposed. The new model is based on a one-dimensional model of anartery previously presented by the authors and it takes into accountthe interaction between the hematoma and the surrounding musclematerial. The model equations are derived using rigorous asymptoticanalysis for the case of a simplified geometry. Even though the model is simple it still supports a realisticbehavior for the system consisting of the vessel and the hematoma. Using numerical simulations we illustrate the behavior ofthe model. We also investigate the effect of changing the size of the hematoma. The simulations show that ourmodel can reproduce realistic solutions. For instance we show thetypical strong pulsation of an aneurysm by blood entering the hematoma during the work phase of the cardiac cycle, and the blood returning tothe vessel during the resting phase. Also we show that the aneurysmgrows if the pulse rate is increased due to, e.g., a higher work load.

In this paper we present a one-dimensional model of blood flow in a vessel segment with an elastic wall consisting of several anisotropic layers. The model involves two variables: the radial displacement of the vessels wall and the pressure, and consists of two coupled equations of parabolic and hyperbolic type. Numerical simulations on a straight segment of a blood vessel demonstrate that the model can produce realistic flow fields that may appear under normal conditions in healthy blood vessels; as well as flow that could appear during abnormal conditions. In particular we show that weakening of the elastic properties of the wall may provoke a reverse blood flow in the vessel. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A parametric study of oil-jet lubrication in gear wheels is conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to study the eﬀect of the diﬀerent design parameters on the cooling performance in a gearbox. Flow in oil jet lubrication is found to be complex with the formation of oil ligaments and droplets. Various hole radii of 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mm along with ﬁve oil velocities is analyzed and it is found that at lower volumetric rates, velocity has more eﬀect on the cooling and at higher volumetric rates, hole size has more eﬀect on the cooling. At higher velocities, the heat transfer is much greater than the actual heat production in the gear wheel, hence these velocity ratios are considered less suitable for jet lubrication. At low velocity ratios of below 2, the oil doesn’t fully impinge the gear bottom land and the sides leading to low cooling. Based on the cooling, impingement length and amount of oil lost to the casing surface, 2 mm hole with a velocity ratio of 2.225 is selected for a successful oil jet lubrication. Varying the inlet position in X, Y and Z directions (horizontal, vertical and lateral respectively) is found to have no improvement on the cooling. Making the oil jet hit the gear wheel surface at an angle is found to increase the cooling. Analysis with the use of a pipe to supply oil was conducted with circular and square inlet and it was found that the heat transfer decreases in both cases due to the splitting of oil jet caused by the combination of the eﬀects of high pressure from the pipe and vorticity in the air ﬁeld. A method has been developed for two gear analysis using overset meshes which can be used for further studies of jet lubrication in multi-gear systems. Single inlet is found to be better for cooling two gear wheels as it would require a reduced volumetric ﬂow rate compared to double inlets. Oil system requirements for jet lubrication was studied and it was concluded that larger pumps have to be used to provide the high volumetric rates and highly pressurized oil required. On comparing the experimental losses from dip lubrication and the analytical losses for jet lubrication, dip lubrication is found to have lesser loses and more suitable for this case. Good quality lubrication would reduce the fuel consumption and also increase the longevity of gearboxes and hence more research into analyzing alternate lubrication systems can be carried out using the results from this thesis.

Objective: Shear forces play a key role in the maintenance of vessel wall integrity. Current understanding regarding shear-dependent gene expression is mainly based on in vitro or in vivo observations with experimentally deranged shear, hence reflecting acute molecular events in relation to flow. Our objective was to determine wall shear stress (WSS) in the rat aorta and study flow-dependent vessel wall biology under physiological conditions.

Methods and Results: Animal-specific aortic WSS magnitude and vector direction were estimated using computational fluid dynamic simulation based on aortic geometry and flow information acquired by MRI. Two distinct flow pattern regions were identified in the normal rat aorta; the distal part of the inner curvature being exposed to low WSS and a non-uniform vector direction, and a region along the outer curvature being subjected to markedly higher levels of WSS and a uniform vector direction. Microarray analysis revealed a strong differential expression between the flow regions, particularly associated with transcriptional regulation. In particular, several genes related to Ca2+-signalling, inflammation, proliferation and oxidative stress were among the most highly differentially expressed.

Conclusions: Microarray analysis validated the CFD-defined WSS regions in the rat aorta, and several novel flow-dependent genes were identified. The importance of these genes in relation to atherosusceptibility needs further investigation.

Increased resource efficiency in an energy system could result in large economic and environmental benefits. Tekniska verken i Linköping AB (Tekniska verken) is responsible for the district heating network in Linköping. Their vision is to create the world’s most resource efficient region. An important step towards this vision is more efficient usage of produced heat, something which could be achieved through integration of a seasonal heat storage in the energy system. The purpose of the Master’s thesis is therefore to explore the economic and technical potential for a seasonal heat storage in Tekniska verken’s energy system. The investigated technology is borehole thermal energy storage using two different kinds of borehole heat exchangers; u-pipe and annular coaxial heat exchanger.

To evaluate how Tekniska verken’s energy system changes through integration of a seasonal heat storage a calculation model has been developed in MATLAB. The heat from the seasonal storage needs to be upgraded in order to be used in the ordinary district heating network. Therefore two kinds of heat pumps have been evaluated in the model; absorption heat pumps and compression heat pumps. The main method used for calculations on the heat transfer processes in the storage is the finite difference method. During economic calculations, the economic potential of the investment is expressed solely in relation to the scenario that the storage is not built.

Four different combinations of borehole heat exchangers and heat pumps have been simulated over a twenty year period. The simulated storages have a depth of 200-250 meters and a radius of approximately 100 meters which relates to1500 boreholes. The result shows small differences between the two types of heat exchangers. The choice of heat pump has though a crucial importance of the economic result. The systems with absorption heat pumps uses drive heat from existing steam production and can cover a major part of the peak load during winter. Meanwhile the compression heat pumps have a large cost for electricity. This causes a negative net present value according to the result, while the systems with absorption heat pumps have a discounted pay-back time of 12 years. Another positive effect of the systems with absorption heat pumps is the decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from the heat production.

The result of the Master thesis shows that both economic advantages and increased resource efficiency can be achieved through integration of a borehole thermal energy storage with absorptions heat pumps. To further investigate this potential seems therefore beneficial.

When burning fuels with high water or hydrogen content, much of the combustion energy follows themoist air that leaves the chimney at the plant. A common example is the combustion of wood fuel orhousehold waste in CHP-plants. In order to increase the plant's efficiency and at the same time clean theair from sulfur dioxide and metals, a flue gas condensation of scrubber-type can be used. Cool water isinjected into a filling bed and meets the hot flue gas. When the flue gases are cooled, energy is released bythe water in the flue gases when vapor turns into liquid form, energy that can be used e.g. to heat thedistrict heating network's return line.

This work has been carried out on behalf of Hifab DU-teknik, which in the past year has carried outstudies and calculations of the flue gas condensation at the Torsvik CHP plant, which has led to improvedefficiency. Through simulations and calculations in Matlab, this report tries to verify the optimalcondensate flow calculated by DU technology and study how the plant is affected by changed flows andtemperatures in the district heating network’s return line.

The authors of this work have put a lot of effort into understanding the theory of heat exchangers andenergy in moist air in depth. The theoretical framework we set up can be seen as a thorough introductionto the subjects and an in-depth study compared to the usual course content during the Bachelor's degreeprogram in mechanical engineering at Linköping University.

The goal of the preparatory method work has been to find expressions of the different temperatures inthe plant that make it possible to simulate changes in the plant. Models have been developed to be able tosimulate and calculate the outgoing temperatures given different mass flows using the ingoingtemperatures in a heat exchanger. The model has proven to work well for the heat exchanger, which isconnected to the district heating network. In the calculations of temperatures out of the filling bed, twomethods have been tested. The authors’ has studied what happens if the condensate temperature out ofthe filling bed is set to the dew temperature of the flue gases. Attempts have also been made to considerthe filling bed as a kind of heat exchanger.

The result of the authors' calculations of condensate flow differs to a certain extent from the DU-teknik’scalculated condensate flows during a changed boiler load in the plant. To end up at the same result, thehot condensate temperature needed to take a slightly higher temperature than the dew temperature. Theassumption is reasonable to make, but it is difficult to draw any conclusions about the magnitude.

Regarding the method of considering the filling bed as a heat exchanger, there are both successes andshortcomings. The success lies in that the trend for the different temperatures seems to be in line with thetheory that the authors have presented for heat exchangers and what happens when the massflowsincrease or decrease in a heat exchanger. However, the shortcomings lie in the fact that the method doesnot take into account that heat is released during the condensation, but is based entirely on the fact thatthe fluid in the filling bed do not undergo phase transformations.

Two important proposals for continued work are highlighted at the end of the report. It would beinteresting to study the possibility of considering the filling bed as two separate heat exchangers, where thedry flue gases encounter a partial current of the condensate and the moisture in the flue gases meetsanother partial current of the condensate. Furthermore, a desire is made to test the flue gas condensationin the future at different condensate flows for a longer period of time in order to achieve stationaryconditions in the temperatures. The data can later be used to produce mathematical expressions of whathappens to the outgoing temperatures of the filling bed when the condensate flow changes or when theingoing temperature of the filling bed increases or decreases.

Continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity is commonly expected to reflect the severity of mitral regurgitation. Physical principles predict that alignment of the imaging beam, flow velocity, and turbulence can also be important or even dominant determinants of continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity. The reliability of tracking regurgitant severity with continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity was assessed in vitro with varying volume, velocity, turbulence, and beam alignment. The conditions wherein continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity increased with regurgitant volume were specific but poorly predictable combinations of orifice size, flow volume, and perfect beam alignment. Under other conditions flow velocity and turbulence effects dominated, and continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity did not reflect changing regurgitant volume. Continuous-wave Doppler signal intensity-based impressions of regurgitant severity may be unreliable and even misleading under some circumstances.

This master’s thesis is made to increase the understanding of the dynamic characteristics of a typical large swing check valve used in a system that transports pressurized water to a reactor tank.3D FSI-simulations are performed for a number of transients in order to study the dynamic characteristics their dependence of the deceleration rate. The purpose is to find information about the dynamics that could be used in a future improvement of a 1D-model.Steady state simulations are performed for angles in the whole spectrum. Seven transient FSI-simulations with different constantly decelerating flows from 630 kg/s2 (6.7 m/s2) to 40 320 kg/s2 (430 m/s2) have been performed. The pressure on the disc caused by the hydraulic torque is integrated and the corresponding torque contribution, together with the weight torque, is used in the second law of motion to calculate the movement of the disc throughout the transients.Steady state simulations yield the pressure drop over the valve, which could be compared with field measurements in order to validate the CFD-simulations. Comparison of the pressure distribution on the disc for the steady state and transient simulations shows the importance of taking the disc angular velocity into account when modelling in 1D. Correlations between the angle, angular velocity, torque and mass flow are obtained from the transient FSI-simulations. Torque coefficients according to (Li & Liou, Vol. 125) are also brought out from the simulated transients, but in order to create a model in line with this approach further simulations have to be performed. A prediction of the pressure rise that occurs when a swing check valve closes in backward flow according to the Joukowsky equation is brought out and gives an idea of the loadings that the system has to be able to handle.

Continued improvement of combustion engines to operate with lower fuel usage and lower harmful emissions leads to more and more complex engine designs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a method which helps predicting engine performance, reducing the reliance on engine tests. CFD can be used to optimise a geometry using a design of experiments (DOE). This study focuses on developing a simulation method to use for such large scale optimisation of air intake manifolds.

The main focus in this study was the difference in flow quantities such as swirl number and pressure drop between the different cylinders for a given manifold. Four different simulation approaches were tested: one steady-state, two transient and one transient with a moving mesh. These simulation methods were tested on five different geometries based on a six cylinder, 13L spark ignited (Otto) combustion engine and a six cylinder, 13L compression ignited (Diesel) combustion engine. The five geometries were compared using the different simulation methods, with the main goal of determining if the different simulation methods provide the same optimal geometry. The most complex simulation model, the transient simulation with moving mesh, was chosen as main reference case in absence of experimental results.

Results of this mock design of experiments show that the different simulation approaches do not perform consistently enough to recommend using any of the tested methods in further optimisation studies. While the various methods showed significantly different results when comparing the differences in flow parameters between cylinders, using the steady-state or transient methods to predict the flow parameters in a single cylinder is a viable approach.

Multiple possible causes for the inconsistent results are discussed, chief among which is the chosen grid generation approach and selected convergence criteria. A recommendation is made to improve the reference, moving mesh, case using scale resolving models.

Increasing fuel prices, higher demands on "greener" transports and tougher international emission regulations puts requirements on companies in the automotive industry in improving their vehicle fuel efficiency. On a typical heavy duty Scania truck around 30% of the total fuel energy is wasted through the exhaust system in terms of heat dissipated to the environment. Hence, several investigations and experiments are conducted trying to find ways to utilize this wasted heat in what is called a waste heat recovery (WHR) system. At Scania several techniques within the field of WHR are explored to find the profits that could be made.

This report will cover a WHR-system based on thermoelectricity, where several new thermoelectric (TE) materials will be investigated to explore their performance. A reference material which is built into modules will be mounted in the exhaust gas stream on a truck to allow for measurements in a dyno cell. To analyze new materials a Simulink model of the WHR-system is established and validated using the dyno cell measurements. By adjusting the model to other thermoelectric material properties and data, the performance of new TE materials can be investigated and compared with today’s reference material.

From the results of the simulations it was found that most of the investigated TE materials do not show any increased performance compared to the reference material in operating points of daily truck driving. This is due to dominance of relatively low exhaust gas temperatures in average, while most advantages in new high performing TE-materials are seen in higher temperature regions. Still, there are candidates that will be of high interest in the future if nanotechnology manufacturing process is enhanced. By using nanostructures, a quantum well based BiTe material would be capable of recovering 5-6 times more net heat power compared to the reference BiTe material. Another material group that could be of interest are TAGS which in terms of daily driving will increase the power output with pending values between 40-80 %. It is clear that for a diesel truck application, materials with high ZT-values in the lower temperature region (100-350°C) must be developed, and with focus put on exhibiting low thermal conductivity for a wide temperature span.

In gas turbines some parts are exposed to combustion gases with temperatures well above the melting temperature of the material. Therefore, various cooling techniques are utilized in order to protect the parts exposed to these hot gases. One such technique, film cooling, is a common and well established way to protect the exposed parts. Film cooling involves the ejection of cold air on the surface of the parts that are to be protected, thus creating a film of colder air between the surface and the hot gases.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a way of calculating fluid flow, and can be used to calculate the effectiveness of a cooling film in film cooling applications. CFD is demanding in terms of computer power, especially when advanced methods are to be used. Even the simpler methods, such as Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS), can be quite demanding, time and computer power-wise, and require resources not always available. Finding ways of limiting the needed computer power is therefore of large interest.

The aim of this thesis is to reduce the computational time of film cooling CFD-simulations, by using reduced models. To achieve this, simulations has been conducted and compared to experiments. The investigated setup is of an enginelike equipment, where a guide vane is investigated for heat transfer coefficient and film effectiveness. The geometry in the experimental setup is constructed in such a way as to give the same pressure distribution around the guide vane as can be seen in a real gas turbine, although at lower temperatures than those in the real turbine. The CFD-simulations conducted on the test rig includes RANS-simulations using the realizable k- and the SST k-! turbulence models.

The reduced model contains only the central part of the vane. The walls of the test rig is replaced with periodic boundary conditions. This narrow model gives good agreement with the full model for heat transfer coefficient. Due to the large computational cost required to conduct simulations with cooling on the full model no comparison were made between the cooled narrow and cooled full model.

To further reduce the size of the computational domain, two additional models were investigated. The first one involves a reduction of the full domain to only include the section being studied, in this case the suction side of the guide vane.

This infers a reduction of the mesh size to less than ten percent of the size of what a mesh of the cooled full domain would be. The next step to reduce the size of the model and mesh is to make a narrow version of the already shortened model. The results for these two models show that they perform adequately to each other and (in the cases where a comparison is possible), to the full domain.

When designing gas turbines, a high combustion temperature is desirable to obtain a good thermal eciency. At the same time, the thermal limitations of the gas turbines components must not be exceeded. High temperatures can lead to large thermal stresses that can reduce the life span of the components and increase the risk of fatigue and failure.

The trade-o between eciency on the one hand, and reliability, life span, service interval etc. on the other hand, must be handled early in the design process. At the same time, many other aspects such as aerodynamics, structural strength, manufacturing and assembly must be considered simultaneously.

In the combustor and high pressure turbine, lm cooling is extensively used as one of the major ways to protect parts from the gases of combustion. Film cooling was introduced about 50 years ago, and is today normally actualized by taking air from the compressor and ejecting it out through rows of holes placed on the surfaces that are to be protected.

Film cooling is a complex process, in uenced by many parameters related to the hole geometry, the flow through the hole, and the free stream above the surface of interest, see e.g. A number of governing parameters have been identied, and their effect has been analyzed, see e.g.

In order to handle the design of lm cooling along with the rest of the design process, fast and relatively accurate tools for prediction and comparison of film cooling congurations are essential. One early attempt to describe film cooling by a correlation was carried out in the sixties. Since then a number of correlations have been developed and scrutinized, but most of them have considered at plates without pressure gradients, a case that is not always representative for gas turbine lm cooling. Furthermore, most correlations are developed utilizing experiments, where at least some of the parameters in the correlation have been adopted to t particular experimental data. This give rise to questions regarding, among others, the possibility to generalize the result of the correlations to other presumptions. This investigation summarize some of the correlations presented in the open literature, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

It is well known that the efficiency of a gas turbine can be increased by using higher combustion temperatures and that this demands improved cooling. This study focuses on strategies to decrease the turnaround time for numerical predictions of film cooling while keeping the ability to resolve details of the flow. Simulations have been carried out for a real vane geometry at close to engine-like conditions and results are compared with corresponding experiments. The investigation includes an un-cooled situation for aerodynamic validation and to determine baseline heat transfer coefficent. Simulations and experiments of film effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient and their dependence of blowing ratio are investigated.

In an earlier report by Bradley, a number of correlations from the open literature were presented and evaluated. All these correlations manage to accurately describe the film cooling eectiveness for the experiments they are based on, but there is doubts regarding the general predictive value of these correlations, especially for engine-like conditions. The correlations have now been analysed to investigate their predictive capabilities - especially the general applicability of correlations is in focus, for example for geometries or flow conditions slightly dierent than those for which the correlations were originally designed.

Lumped parameter models of the cardiovascular system have the potential to assist researchers and clinicians to better understand cardiovascular function. The value of such models increases when they are subject specific. However, most approaches to personalize lumped parameter models have thus far required invasive measurements or fall short of being subject specific due to a lack of the necessary clinical data. Here, we propose an approach to personalize parameters in a model of the heart and the systemic circulation using exclusively non-invasive measurements. The personalized model is created using flow data from four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging and cuff pressure measurements in the brachial artery. We term this personalized model the cardiovascular avatar. In our proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the capability of the avatar to reproduce pressures and flows in a group of eight healthy subjects. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, the model-based results agreed well with the pressure and flow measurements obtained in vivo for each subject. This non-invasive and personalized approach can synthesize medical data into clinically relevant indicators of cardiovascular function, and estimate hemodynamic variables that cannot be assessed directly from clinical measurements.

Background: The possibility of non-invasively assessing load-independent parameters characterizing cardiac function is of high clinical value. Typically, these parameters are assessed during resting conditions. However, for diagnostic purposes, the parameter behavior across a physiologically relevant range of heart rate and loads is more relevant than the isolated measurements performed at rest. This study sought to evaluate changes in non-invasive estimations of load-independent parameters of left-ventricular contraction and relaxation patterns at rest and during dobutamine stress. Methods: We applied a previously developed approach that combines non-invasive measurements with a physiologically-based, reduced-order model of the cardiovascular system to provide subject-specific estimates of parameters characterizing left ventricular function. In this model, the contractile state of the heart at each time point along the cardiac cycle is modeled using a time-varying elastance curve. Non-invasive data, including four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D Flow MRI) measurements, were acquired in nine subjects without a known heart disease at rest and during dobutamine stress. For each of the study subjects, we constructed two personalized models corresponding to the resting and the stress state. Results: Applying the modeling framework, we identified significant increases in the left ventricular contraction rate constant [from 1.5 +/- 0.3 to 2 +/- 0.5 (p = 0.038)] and relaxation constant [from 37.2 +/- 6.9 to 46.1 +/- 12 (p = 0.028)]. In addition, we found a significant decrease in the elastance diastolic time constant from 0.4 +/- 0.04 s to 0.3 +/- 0.03 s = 0.008). Conclusions: The integrated image-modeling approach allows the assessment of cardiovascular function given as model-based parameters. The agreement between the estimated parameter values and previously reported effects of dobutamine demonstrates the potential of the approach to assess advanced metrics of pathophysiology that are otherwise difficult to obtain non-invasively in clinical practice.

The road transport industry is facing a strong need for fuel consumption reduction, driven by the necessity of decreasing polluting emissions, such as CO2 and NOX, as well as coping with strict regulations and increasing fuel costs. For road vehicles the aerodynamic drag constitutes a major source of energy consumption, and for this reason improving the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle is an established approach for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.

In this Thesis work, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigations have been carried out in order to investigate and improve the aerodynamic performance of an unloaded timber truck. The work has been divided in two parts. In a first phase, a preliminary study was carried out on a simplified tractor-trailer model in order to establish a suitable computational grid and turbulence model. The hexcore-mesh showed a better performance over the tet- and poly-mesh types. Among the selected RANS turbulence models, the Realizable k − ε with Enhanced Wall Treatment (EWT) and y+ > 30 showed the highest reliability of results in

comparison with experimental data and existing CFD investigations.

In a second phase, the flow field around the baseline unloaded timber truck was analysed in order to highlight potential regions for drag reduction. The truck cabin-bulkhead gap, bunks, the exposed wheels and the stakes were found make key contribution to the drag build-up. The analysis confirmed the 5◦-yaw case to be the most representative for the wind-averaged drag coefficient.

Geometry modifications were implemented in order to improve the aerodynamic performance in the selected areas, and subsequently combined into aero-kits in order to enhance the performance, analysed for the 5◦-yaw case. The combination of extended side skirts, bulkhead shield and collapsed stakes yielded a remarkable result of more than 30% decrease in the wind-averaged drag coefficient, achieved by reducing the flow separation on the cabin leeward A-pillar, and by shielding areas of high stagnation pressure from the side wind.

Furthermore, a parallel study was conducted on the development of a procedure for the automatic post-processing of results. The outcome was a set of Python scripts to be used with Kitaware Paraview in order to automatically obtain figures of surface variables distributions, iso-surfaces, velocity profiles, drag build-up and total pressure contours. The procedure was finally extended to include the case comparison.

A comprehensive systematic method for chemical vapor deposition modeling consisting of seven well-defined steps is presented. The method is general in the sense that it is not adapted to a certain type of chemistry or reactor configuration. The method is demonstrated using silicon carbide (SiC) as a model system, with accurate matching to measured data without tuning of the model. We investigate the cause of several experimental observations for which previous research reports only have had speculative explanations. In contrast to previous assumptions, we can show that SiCl2 does not contribute to SiC deposition. We can confirm the presence of larger molecules at both low and high C/Si ratios, which have been thought to cause so-called step-bunching. We can also show that high concentrations of Si lead to other Si molecules other than the ones contributing to growth, which also explains why the C/Si ratio needs to be lower at these conditions to maintain high material quality as well as the observed saturation in deposition rates. Due to its independence of a chemical system and reactor configuration, the method paves the way for a general predictive CVD modeling tool.

Microdialysis of the basal ganglia was used in parallel to deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with Parkinson’s disease. The aim of this study was to patientspecifically simulate and visualize the maximum tissue volume of influence (TVImax) for each microdialysis catheter and the electric field generated around each DBS electrode. The finite element method (FEM) was used for the simulations. The method allowed mapping of the anatomical origin of the microdialysis data and the electric stimulation for each patient. It was seen that the sampling and stimulation targets differed among the patients, and the results will therefore be used in the future interpretation of the biochemical data.

Microdialysis can be used in parallel to deep brain stimulation (DBS) to relate biochemical changes to the clinical outcome. The aim of the study was to use the finite element method to predict the tissue volume of influence (TVI(max)) and its cross-sectional radius (r (TVImax)) when using brain microdialysis, and visualize the TVI(max) in relation to patient anatomy. An equation based on Fick's law was used to simulate the TVI(max). Factorial design and regression analysis were used to investigate the impact of the diffusion coefficient, tortuosity and loss rate on the r (TVImax). A calf brain tissue experiment was performed to further evaluate these parameters. The model was implemented with pre-(MRI) and post-(CT) operative patient images for simulation of the TVI(max) for four patients undergoing microdialysis in parallel to DBS. Using physiologically relevant parameter values, the r (TVImax) for analytes with a diffusion coefficient D = 7.5 × 10(-6) cm(2)/s was estimated to 0.85 ± 0.25 mm. The simulations showed agreement with experimental data. Due to an implanted gold thread, the catheter positions were visible in the post-operative images. The TVI(max) was visualized for each catheter. The biochemical changes could thereby be related to their anatomical origin, facilitating interpretation of results.

A simplified roentgen stereophotogrammetric method is described. It is based on the use of a 50 mm thick reference plate consisting of a carbon-fibre-reinforced polyester box. The patient is placed directly on this box, which makes the methods less cumbersome and more suitable for routine use. The method has been tested in a model experiment designed for detecting small movements between femur and prosthesis at an early stage after total hip replacement. The head and two hemispheres on the prosthesis and three small tantalum balls inserted in the femur serve as reference points. The model experiment now reported shows that the method has acceptable precision.

In cardiovascular medicine, the assessment of blood flow is fundamental to the understanding and detection of disease. Many pharmaceutical, interventional, and surgical treatments impact the flow. The primary purpose of the cardiovascular system is to drive, control and maintain blood flow to all parts of the body. In the normal cardiovascular system, fluid transport is maintained at high efficiency and the blood flow is essentially laminar. Disturbed and turbulent blood flow, on the other hand, appears to be present in many cardiovascular diseases and may contribute to their initiation and progression. Despite strong indications of an important interrelationship between flow and cardiovascular disease, medical imaging has lacked a non-invasive tool for the in vivo assessment of disturbed and turbulent flow. As a result, the extent and role of turbulence in the blood flow of humans have not yet been fully investigated.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a versatile tool for the non-invasive assessment of flow and has several important clinical and research applications, but might not yet have reached its full potential. Conventional MRI techniques for the assessment of flow are based on measurements of the mean velocity within an image voxel. The mean velocity corresponds to the first raw moment of the distribution of velocities within a voxel. An MRI framework for the quantification of any moment (mean, standard deviation, skew, etc.) of arbitrary velocity distributions is presented in this thesis.

Disturbed and turbulent flows are characterized by velocity fluctuations that are superimposed on the mean velocity. The intensity of these velocity fluctuations can be quantified by their standard deviation, which is a commonly used measure of turbulence intensity. This thesis focuses on the development of a novel MRI method for the quantification of turbulence intensity. This method is mathematically derived and experimentally validated. Limitations and sources of error are investigated and guidelines for adequate application of MRI measurements of turbulence intensity are outlined. Furthermore, the method is adapted to the quantification of turbulence intensity in the pulsatile blood flow of humans and applied to a wide range of cardiovascular diseases. In these applications, elevated turbulence intensity was consistently detected in regions where highly disturbed flow was anticipated, and the effects of potential sources of errors were small.

Diseased heart valves are often replaced with prosthetic heart valves, which, in spite of improved benefits and durability, continue to fall short of matching native flow patterns. In an in vitro setting, MRI was used to visualize and quantify turbulence intensity in the flow downstream from four common designs of prosthetic heart valves. Marked differences in the extent and degree of turbulence intensity were detected between the different valves.

Mitral valve regurgitation is a common valve lesion associated with progressive left atrial and left ventricular remodelling, which may often require surgical correction to avoid irreversible ventricular dysfunction. The spatiotemporal dynamics of flow disturbances in mitral regurgitation were assessed based on measurements of flow patterns and turbulence intensity in a group of patients with significant regurgitation arising from similar valve lesions. Peak turbulence intensity occurred at the same time in all patients and the total turbulence intensity in the left atrium appeared closely related to the severity of regurgitation.

MRI quantification of turbulence intensity has the potential to become a valuable tool in investigating the extent, timing and role of disturbed blood flow in the human cardiovascular system, as well as in the assessment of the effects of different therapeutic options in patients with vascular or valvular disorders.

Purpose: Mitral regurgitation creates a high velocity jet into the left atrium (LA), contributing both volume andpressure; we hypothesized that the severity of regurgitation would be reflected in the degree of LA flowdistortion.

Results: The LA flow in the mitral regurgitation patients was highly disturbed with elevated values of TKE.Peak TKE occurred consistently at late systole. The total LA TKE was closely related to the regurgitant volume.LA flow patterns were characterized by a pronounced vortex in proximity to the regurgitant jet. In some patients,pronounced discordances were observed between individual pulmonary venous inflows, but these could not berelated to the direction of the flow jet or parameters describing global LA hemodynamics.

Conclusion: PC-MRI permits investigations of atrial and pulmonary vein flow patterns and TKE in significantmitral regurgitation, reflecting the impact of the highly disturbed blood flow that accompanies this importantvalve disease.

To evaluate the feasibility of generalized phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) for the noninvasive assessment of fluctuating velocities in cardiovascular blood flow.

Materials and Methods

Multidimensional PC-MRI was used in a generalized manner to map mean flow velocities and intravoxel velocity standard deviation (IVSD) values in one healthy aorta and in three patients with different cardiovascular diseases. The acquired data were used to assess the kinetic energy of both the mean (MKE) and the fluctuating (TKE) velocity field.

Results

In all of the subjects, both mean and fluctuating flow data were successfully acquired. The highest TKE values in the patients were found at sites characterized by abnormal flow conditions. No regional increase in TKE was found in the normal aorta.

Conclusion

PC-MRI IVSD mapping is able to detect flow abnormalities in a variety of human cardiovascular conditions and shows promise for the quantitative assessment of turbulence. This approach may assist in clarifying the role of disturbed hemodynamics in cardiovascular diseases.

Turbulent flow, characterized by velocity fluctuations, accompanies many forms of cardiovascular disease and may contribute to their progression and hemodynamic consequences. Several studies have investigated the effects of turbulence on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal. Quantitative MRI turbulence measurements have recently been shown to have great potential for application both in human cardiovascular flow and in engineering flow. In this article, potential pitfalls and sources of error in MRI turbulence measurements are theoretically and numerically investigated. Data acquisition strategies suitable for turbulence quantification are outlined. The results show that the sensitivity of MRI turbulence measurements to intravoxel mean velocity variations is negligible, but that noise may degrade the estimates if the turbulence encoding parameter is set improperly. Different approaches for utilizing a given amount of scan time were shown to influence the dynamic range and the uncertainty in the turbulence estimates due to noise. The findings reported in this work may be valuable for both in vitro and in vivo studies employing MRI methods for turbulence quantification.